The Washington critic., 1887-09-17
An Attempted Assassination on tho Dsy Of
His Second Inauguration.
DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE.
Disclosures That We're Never Before
Given to the Public.
copyrighted, 1887, by Ward II. Lamoa-All
Rights Reserved

literature OF assassination, "voluninou.
and vast" suggesls melancholy reflection
on the dirordered spirit of the times through
which we have passed, and on tho voeful
peryefsliy uf human nature even under
conditions most favorable to intellectual
progress and Christian civilization. II is
hurtful TO our pride as Americans to CON
fess that our history ie inatred by records
so repugnant to tho spirit OF our liberal in-
stitu,ious, and To- thr good fellowship which
ought to charactIrze both Individual aud
II tiOnhl lille n y free republic But the
appalling fact rcmulus that two Of our Chief
Msgittrs'es, within rs many decades, were
murdered ia cold blood, aud that bulky
volume, have been filled wih crCumstau-
liai accounts of plots and conspiraeles by
ard ugairst men bora upon our coil aud
t1oying the iuil protection NJ our laws
Aud yet, vulumlnuus aud extensive as
these records are, they are. by no means
complete.
Que most daring attempt upon The life Of
Mr.. Lincoln, the bulir,t n all attempts of
that character, amt one which approached
shockiDgly near 10 a murderous success,
was utyor made public. For prudential
reasons, details were withheld from the
press; hut " the motives which imposed
eiltncr respecting strange freak Of MONT
cidul frenzy bre no longer operative, II is
perhaps matter Of duty to make public the
story together with certain documOuts
which show Ia what deadly peril Mr. LA
coin stood during the ceremonies attending
bis second Inauguration 1T the Capitol ia
March, 1865 a glance at prior cousplra.
cies will lead to q better understanding of
the event to which these documents relate.
THE BUCHANAN CONSPIRACY,
The first conspiracy, from motives of pol
ley, had for its object the abduction Of PrGs-
idtDt Buchanan. There was Intense disgust
Oh the part OF certain fiery and feroclous
leaders IN the secession movement with the
conservative temper Of the Executive and
ruling members " his C8blGot After fruit
lets attempts to bully tho Administration
INTO q change of policy in harmony with his
revolutionary scheme, Mr.. Wigfall, some.
time IN the month " Decemb1r, 1870
formed u plcn for kidnapping Mr.. Bu.
cbauan. A number of desperate men were
banded together by him ut Wellington,
sid the details Of the plot were dis.
cutsed and sgreed upon. The plan
WAS TO spirit Mr. Buchanan away, install
MIR. Br ckenridge in the White House, aud
hold the captive President os hostage
nnti terms ofs compromise could be pro.
posed to conservative Democrats aud R3-
publicSns IN the North. Mr.. Wigfall aud
other choice spirits had no dOubt that
their plan OF accommodation could he en-
forced through the ad interim executive.
The scheme, however, could not he exc.
cuttd, IN lis frat stage, without the concur
renee and cooperation OF Mr.. Floyd, wlo
threw Wigfall into paroxysm OF explosive
wrath by Gstly refusing to have anything to
do with the enterprise, 1t was accordingly
abandoned, so far as Mr. Buchanan was con
ctrItd
The much-talked-pf attempt TO ass,ssi-
nate MIR Lincoln during bis pass sge throu Lh
Baltimore was uOt the work OF the Wisf.ll
coterie as an organized body of con
spirltors; but OF that affair | cannot sueAk
now, sit will requirr separate paper to
balance conflicting accounts already pub.
liEhcd sud To 0etermiue the measure of real
dsIge involved and the claims of various
gentlemen 10 special credit FOR services 10 a
tupposed emergency,
PLOTS AGAINST LINCOLN.
When MIR. Lincoln was inaugurated, IN
March, 1861, the Organization Of plotters
IVES still intact; but no plan OF essassln.-
tiUD had, Gs yet, received the sanction Of
the cOutplratUIs rs "A body. II was thelr
purpose 10 hdnsp Mr.. Lincoln aud hold
him in captivity, without injury to his per
son, until tuch concessions were made 10
The Southern leaders as their plan of com
promise rendered necessary This second
scheme Of abduction, havlng proved rs
nbOrtive as the frat, ripened at length into
more deadly purpose. Some of tue more
desperate among the cOuspiratOra, oxa5-
perated by repeated fsi'ures, resolved to
dispose OF MIR Lincoln by the swfter and
tuier means afforded by the dagger or the
bullet.
circumstances, In surprising way,
seemed to favor their murderous designs
Against the protest Of bis friends, who,
by detective means, had obtained from the
plotters mauy of their secrets, Mr.. Lincoln
made the Soldiers Home his summer resi-.
Ahlnpt stp Al oil hur
could be accomplished without difficulty,
the cOnspirators thought They resolved
upon the latter. They would dispatch him
during one Of his lonely rides after night
!Gll from the White House to his summer
retreat. The attempt was msde. About /
O'Clock Que night In August, 1859, la miscrelu u,
lufled nepr the roadway watching for the
President Of the United States H. was At
the foot of the bill where the road turns
into the Home grounds. Immersed In deep
thought man on horseback, uGGttendod
ard wholly unconscious or impending
danger, was moving along at Jogging gait,
lie was recognized; there was loud report,
and a hissing ball passed very ueir the
riders head. sold Abe" as / called tho
noble animal, sprspg forward and bore Mr..
Iircoln In safety 10 the Soldiers Home,
lie bad narrowly escaped death.
A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE.
The clrcumatancrs OF this midnight al.
venture were related to mo by Mr. LIucOl0
the next mUrning with the strange't mix
inre Of gravity and humor that ever fsl
from the lips Of man. II had been impOss
BILE to induce him to fOregO these lonely AMI
dangeroua journeys between the ESecutiy,
Nausion aud the Home. A stranger to fear
be often eludcd our vigilance, aud before
bis absence could he noted hc would be wei
OF his way TO his summer residence, uloot
and many times at night. The vigils snrs, the
f.H ia. fHaI 10.
his friends VIII appear In tho following tx
tact from a memorandum written bI
Robert Lnmon, who wac Deputy Marsas
of the District Of Columbia during the war
IN the early part Of tho night my brother
came o me and asked me 10 inln lila 10 .hC
search for Mr Liucoln. lie vas greatly dis
tuIbsd No drove rapidly 10 the Sol
dieIs Homo, aud as We were leaving the sev'
tnth street road we met carriage, Behind
j we could SEQ In The darkness man on
horseback My brother, who seemed uu
usually susticiOus, e iInnauded IA, Parry tu
bait llis order was Instantly uberud "Wh1
are youY he demanded, 20 The Same
Joicnptury tone voice tfOm within
lie tntfinse responded why do you
MkW Tie speakers recognized ,n9h uthef.
HE one In the carriugo was Secretary STAN
ton. and tie man behind n was one ui li- ar
dcriieF. where Is Mr Liucolui' asked s.m
tor. ~ have been tothN rudiors' Home ui
he ~ not therc / am exceedingly uneasy
about him. EC Is not at the White House NJ
NO said my brother, "he 20 not ihHre,
have Looked for him eyerywharsn "n ur
rico back TO the city. Arriving at the White
House before Mr. stanton. We found Air.
in,oln walking across tho lawn. hT hro'te.
went with him 10 tho War DepartmcnI an
from there took him 10 his OamOn'-l house,
where Mr. Lincoln slept that ui1ht AMI the
r three or four nights following Mrs, Liugllu
icing "a hat time IN New York.
My anxiety about Mr.. Lincoln that even
ing grew out Of report OF an alarming
character made 70 me by one Of my detec
ilvrs. Stanton had threatening news slso
aud wsa excited about Mr.. Llncolus safety
He told me that he never had so great q